People are comparing Trump’s approval rating

Donald Trump’s approval ratings during the early months of his second term are hitting record lows, even compared to his first presidency. Despite a dramatic political comeback by defeating Kamala Harris in the last election, public opinion remains largely negative. Controversial actions like the introduction of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which sparked a public fallout with Elon Musk, and a crackdown on immigration in LA have drawn widespread criticism. A Quinnipiac University poll shows only 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, with 54% disapproving. His handling of key issues like the economy, immigration, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has also received poor marks, especially the latter, with just 34% support.

Comparing Trump’s current term to his first, approval has declined slightly from 42% to 39% within the first 100 days, according to analyst Steven Rattner. These numbers place both Trump terms at the bottom compared to any president in the past six decades. Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, for instance, had far stronger early-term ratings, at 69% and 73% respectively. Rattner emphasized the historical significance of Trump’s low approval, labeling it the worst in 60 years for a sitting president at this point in office.